Sheet registering mechanism for printing machines



June 9, 1942. w, EKHARD I 2,286,032

SHEET REGISTERING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 11, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet l IINVENTIOR ATTORNEY June 9, 1942. w. K. ECKHARD SHEET REGISTERING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 11, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY June 9 1942- w. K. ECKHARDY SHEET REGISTERING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 11, 1941 llll l|ll llll llgl l Y E N R O T A June 9, 1942. w. K. ECKHARD SHEET REGISTERING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 11, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 NAH OJ v INVENTOR MJKL/QM Patented June 9, 1942 SHEET REGISTERING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES William K. Eckhard, Newark, N. J., assignor to R. Hoe & 00., Inc.,

poration of New York New York, N. Y., a cor- Application February 11, 1941, Serial No. 378,341

18 Claims.

This invention relates to sheet fed rotary printing machines and more particularly to improvements in mechanisms for registering sheetsupon a rotating cylinder of a machine adapted to operate upon the sheets.

In some instances, it is desirable that sheets, being fed to a rotary printing machine, be accurately registered upon a sheet carrying device before they are presented to the printing units of the printing machine, and for such a purpose the mechanism shown. and fully described in Patent No. 2,231,914, granted February 18, 1941,

was developed and has been found to be very efflcient. In that form, a sheet receiving and registering cylinder is included in the mechanism to register the sheet upon a carrying device which subsequently presents it to the printing cylinders. This invention contemplates, as one of its objects, improvements in the mechanism shown in the above mentioned patent, whereby certain advantages will be obtained.

In other instances, it is preferable to feed sheets directly to the printing cylinders; and without the use of a separate sheet receiving and registering cylinder, the sheets, in this latter forward edge of the sheet may be compensated for.

tering mechanism having provision to move sheet engaging members out of engagement with the sheet edge after a sheet has been placed in register and grippers have engaged it, preparatory to carrying the. sheet from the receiving cylinder into ,themaehine, or toward another printing unit.

It is'also an objectof'this invention to provide a sheet registering mechanism of generally improved construction, whereby the same will be simple, durable and inexpensive in construction,

eiilcient in use.

as well as convenient, practical, serviceable and.

With the foregoing and otnr. objects in view,

which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts, and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

instance, being received and gripped by means directly connected to and carried by one of the cylinders of a printing unit. It is therefore contemplated as another object of this invention to provide sheet registering means adapted for usewith the sheet receiving cylinder of a printing unit.

In both instances, it is desirable to feed the sheets to the sheet receiving cylinder against a sheet registering member, or series of such members into registered position in respect to sheet gripping means carried by a sheet carrying device, or by a cylinder of the printing unit, and this invention contemplates as another of its objects the provision .of an improved form of sheet registering device.

Another object cu this inventionis to provide an adjustable sheet engaging member on, or series of such members spaced apart axially along, a sheet receiving cylinder whereby sheets being delivered theretomay be slightly stretched, contracted, or otherwise disposed on the cylinder to so register them, as to compensate for certain irregularities in either the printing plates, or in the paper, which frequently are present. v

Still another object of'this invention is to provide an adjustable sheet engaging member, or members, for use in a sheet registering mechanism, whereby unevenness or curvature of the 55i Preferred embodiments of the invention are the accompanying drawings,

illustrated in wherein: I V

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a multicolor printing machine with which the sheet registering mechanism of this invention may be associated;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of a sheet reeciving cylinder having the sheet registering mechanism of this invention associated therewith;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of a registering cylinder, partly in section showing the mechanism as seen the direction of the arrows 3 in Figure 2 and showing one of the adjustable sheet stopping and locating members in position to act upon a sheet;

Figure 4is a view similar to Figure}, but I showing the parts in'their respective positions substantially at. the time a sheet isbeing carried away from the registering mechanism;

Figure 5 is a partial view of the'operating levers and cams for the sheet stopping and locatin members, looking in the direction of arrow 5 in Figure 3;

Figure 6 is an enlarged and broken top plan view of the adjustable sheet stopping and locating mechanism of this invention, looking in the direction of arrow 6 in Figure 3-;

Figure 7 is an enlarged view 01' a part of the mechanism shown in Figure 6', looking in the direction of arrow I in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a sectional view of the parts shown in Figure 7 as seen in the direction of arrows 88 of Figure 7 and showing the adjusting means a .A further object is to provide a sheet regis-.

- pile 2.3.

for the sheet stoppin and locating members moved out of sheet engaging position;

Figure 9 is an enlarged broken sectional view taken on the line 9-3 of Figure 6;

Figure 10 is a broken away end view of a printing cylinder carryin the registering mechanism of the invention; and I Figure 11 is a fragmentary top view of a portion of the printing cylinder shown in Figure 10, showing the adjusting means for the sheet stopping and locating members.

The features and principles of this invention have been shown in the drawings in cooperation with the structure of a sheet registering mechanism of the form shown in the hereinbefore men tioned patent. In the present application many of the details of that mechanism have been omitted for the sake of brevity and clearness, and hence reference is made to the aforesaid patent for a full and complete disclosure of a machine to which the invention may be applied. In the invention as herein disclosed, a sheet ll (Figure 1), is fed from a pile l2, by means including a belt l3, to a sheet receiving and registering cylinder H. A sheet carryin device is provided, which includes continuously moving chains l5 arranged to be directed to and over the cylinder 14, and which have sheet conveyor members or gripper bars I8 spaced therealong. The conveyor mem-' bers it are adapted to take sheets while on the cylinder l4 after they have been registered and to successively present them to printing units l1, l8, l8 and 2|, and then toa sheet delivering mechanism 22 by w ch they are delivered to a In this present form r mechanism shown in the before-mentioned patent, the sheet receiving cylinder I4 is driven from the printing machine driving means through a shaft 24 (Figure 2), and bevel gears 25 and 25, the gear 25 being on a shaft 21 of the cylinder t4. When a sheet I is fed to the cylinder-l4, its forward edge is enga'ged'by-a series of sheet registhe chain l5 (Figures 1, 3 and 5) and as herein shown-include an outer tube 43, to which are secured posts 4| and spring gripper fingers 42.

The outer-tube 43 extends the length of the cylrotate relatively to the outer tube 43 and carries a plurality of bars 48 which extend through openings 49 in the outer tube 43 and are adapted to engage the gripper fingers42 to force them awayfrom'the posts 4! when the tube 41 is rotated in one direction, thus opening the grippers It to release a sheet grippedthereby.

Each of the holders 44 and 45 are provided with a pair of spaced apart rollers 5| and 52,

and also'a roller 53 of larger diameter journaled of mechanism, as the a substantially midway between them. The rollers 53 are each adapted to be engaged by an arouately shaped stationary guide 54 (Figures 3 and 4) adjacent to each end of the cylinder l4 when the sheet conveyor member it engages the cylinder l4, and presses the member 16 into an opening 55 provided in the cylinder to receive it, the rollers 5| and 52 being pressed against the ends of locating plates 55 and 51 respectively (Figure 4) In this manner the sheet conveyor members l5 are maintained in register with the cylinder l4 while moving with it.

An arm 58 secured to the inner tube 41 extends outwardly through the holder 45 and has a roller 59 joumaled thereon (Figures 2 and 3) The roller 58 is adapted to engage the inner edge of a stationary arcuate plate cam 5|. This cam when engaged by the roller 53, through the arm 58 rotates the tube 41 to cause the blades 28 to press outwardlyagainst the spring gripper swing toward the post 4! to grip the edge of a Means is also provided to detect absence ofa sheet I I from the cylinder l4, or a lack of proper register of a sheet thereon, and includes a body'memment block 35, carried on the lower end of the member 38, out of the path of the end of a rocking lever 36 secured to a shaft 38 and actuated by a stationary cam 31, thereby controlling the.

action of cylinder tripping mechanism and also mechanism for stripping a misregistered sheet from the cylinder l4, all of which is fully explained in Patent No. 2,231,914. A leaf spring 48 (Figures 7 and 8) is provided and disposed back of the member 30 to urge it and the fingers 34 rearwardly, and to move the abutment block 35 into the path of the rocking lever 36.

- 1 The sheet conveyor members l8 spaced along in; as,

sheet ll therebetween before the fingers 42, with the chain I 5, ride off the sprockets 46, and thus carry a sheet H from the cylinder l4, The guide 54, which holds the conveyor members It in place in the cylinder opening 55 is arranged to gradually release the same from the cylinder 94 shortly after the sheet H has been gripped between the fingers 42 and the posts 4!.

The timing of the plate cam M is such that the sheet H is gripped while it is still in engagement with the sheet registering fingers 23. As the guides 54, through the rollers 53, release the conveyor members It from the cylinder l4, the tangential movement of the conveyor members tends to pull the gripped sheet edge past the fingers 28, and in consequence, there is a tendency to bend or tear the edge of the sheet. To obviate this, means are provided to move the sheet registering fingers 28 out of the path of the sheet edge after it has been gripped between the fingers 42 and the post 4|. The means to so move the fingers 28 includes a shaft 52 to which the fingers 28 are secured. The shaft 62 extends through and is joumaled within the cylinder l4 in brackets 83 secured within the cylinder open- One end of the shaft 62 has an arm 64 (Figure 5) secured thereto which is connected to an wardly from a cylinder end plate 88 (Figure and in which it is joumaled. The shaft 81 also extends through and is journaled in the sprocket 48 and has an arm 88 secured upon its outer end. A roller I| carried by the arm 88 is arranged to ride on a stationary cam I2 (Figures 3 and 4) being pressed thereagainst by a spring I3, reacting between a bracket I4 secured to the cylinder end plate 88, and .an arm I5 integral with the arm 65, the .spring I3 being supported by a rod I8 pivoted to the end of the arm I5. An adjustable stop screw 11 mounted-in a post I8 extending outward from the end plate 88 is provided to limitthe movement of the arm I5by the spring I3, and thus in turn the engagement of the roller H on the cam I2. timed to act on the roller II to cause the sheet registering fingers 28 to be withdrawn, as shown in Figure 4, as the conveyor members I8 tend to leave the cylinder I4. To insure that the forward edges of the sheets I I will lie flat against the cylinder l4, lip portions I8 of the fingers 28 are bent rearwardly to guide this sheet edge downwardly against the cylinder l4. The portion or lip I8 may, as shown, be a separate piece secured on the finger 28.

Occasionally due to changes in the condition 'of paper or t overcome inaccuracies in cutting the sheets, or perhaps to compensate for inaccuracy in the printing form, conditions arise.

when it is desirable, in order to obtain accurate The cam I2 is register in multicolor printing to slightly stretch the sheets II at their forward ends, and on other occasions, it is desirable to contract the sheets II at this point. At still other occasions it is desirable to set the sheets at a slight angle to the axis of the printing cylinder. When any such conditions exist, the means herein disclosed is particularly efficient and useful to properly and accurately register it with the printing forms.

Occasionally the forward edges of the sheets being delivered to the machine are curved outwardly, and at other times being curved inwardly at the center. To properly and accurately register such sheets, the sheet registering fingers 28 as shown herein are made adjustable to comcessed somewhat less in depth to form shoulders 81 adapted to have the spring sheet registering fingers 28 rest thereagainst. The bar 8| is secured tothe cylinder H by being adjustably secured to a bracket 88, disposed in the cylinder opening 55 and attached to the cylinder by screws 88. The means to adjustably secure the bar M to the bracket 88, and in turn to the cylinder l4, includes spaced apart clamp screws 8| (Figure 9), which pass'through holes 82 provided in the bar 8| (and elongated in a direction peripherally about the cylinder-l4), the screws 8| being screwthreaded into the brackets 88. Preferably three or more buttons 83 are provided, one adjacent each end of the bar 8| and at least one intermediate the same. These are seated in counterbored holes 84 provided in the brackets 88. The buttons 83 are provided with upwardly directed shanks'85 to which they are eccentric and these shanks 85 extend into openings 88 provided in the bar 8|, the openings 88 being elongated in a direction lengthwise of the bar 8| to prevent the shank 85 binding therein when it and the button arerotated and the bar is bowed for purposes of adjustment. A wrenchsocket 81 is provided in each shank 85 by-which itmay'be rotated by a suitable tool inserted therein.

By loosening the bar clamping screws 8| and cylinder to compensate for any of the inaccura cies mentioned. For instance, should it be desired to bow the sheets I forwardly at the center to contract them at their rear edges, the intermediateeccentric button 88 will. be rotatedto pensate for such uneven -sheet edge conditions.

The means for adjusting the sheet registering fingers 28 to register a sheet under such conditions includes abar 8| which extends the length of the cylinder I4 and is adjustably mounted and secured thereon to the rear (in respect to the direction of rotation of the cylinder l4) of the resilient sheet registering fingers 28 (Figures 2 to 4 and'fi to 9). The bar 8| is provided at its forward 'edge 82 (Figure 6) with a series of recesses 83 which form. clearance spaces for the posts 4| and spring gripper fingers 42 of the conveyor members It when they are disposed in the openings 55.

A series of recesses 84 also are provided in 'the forward edge. 82 of the bar 8| to form clearance spaces for'the sheet detecting fingers 34. Slots 85, extending rearwardly from a determined number of the recesses 84, are provided to receive short bars 88 ,(Figure 8) which extend forwardly to engage the finger 84'and prevent 'it moving rearwardly to cause actuation of the sheet stripping and cylinder tripping means hereinbefore referred to. The bars 88 are disposed in the slots 85 when a sheet II is not of suflicient width that I tween the finger 84 bow the bar 8| forwardly at its center. The series of sheet registering fingers28 will then be held in position to bow the edge of each sheet forwardly at its center when the sheet isforced forward by the feeding mechanism, thus drawing ts side edges together and shortening its trailmg edge. In like manner, the end buttons 88 may be rotated to spring the ends of the bar 8| forwardly, to bow each sheet rearwardly and thus tend to stretch its trailing edge. Other uneven or angular conditions obviously can be compensated for, by selecting the DAJDEI button, or but.- tons 83, to be rotated.

An improved structure attaching the detecting fingers 84 to the cylinder |4 (Figures 7 and 8). These fingers are pivoted on a pin 88 between spaced apart members of a bracket 88 which is detachably secured to the cylinder H by screws finger 84 to the bracket 88 by means of the pin 88, the leaf spring 48 is disposed in position be-/ and the bracket-88. By this arrangement, the finger 84 together with its pivotal mounting, the spring '48, and the bracket 88, may be removed as a unit from the cylinder l4 by removal of the screws I88.

Bythe use of the herein disclosedfstructure, sheets fed to a multicolor or other printing machine will be accurately registered and may be transferred from a receiving cylinder without having their-edges bent, torn or otherwise damaged.

The features and principles of this invention is herein disclosed for obviously are not limited to use with a separate sheet receiving and registering cylinder-, such as hereinbefore described, but may be operably associated with an impression, or other cylinder of I88. While assembling the v a machine, adapted to receive and carry sheets to be operated upon. Such a use is illustrated in Figures 10 and 11 wherein an impression cylinder Il of a printing machine is shown having sheet grippers carried directly thereon. In this instance, sheet registering fingers I02 are provided the bar I03 is somewhat different from that disclosed above, to suit structural conditions. The bar I03 is set into the cylinder IOI in position to have the spring sheet registering fingers I02 rest thereagainst, and is secured to the cylinder by collar screws I04, in this instance three, one at each end and the other intermediate the ends of the bar I03 and screw-threaded into the cylinder wall, Selective rotation of one or more of the screws I04 will bow the bar I03 as required to efiect a desired correction. The bars I03, in

this. instance, are arranged to act as the gripper pad, cooperating with the usual gripper fingers I05 to grip a sheet edge therebetween. In this arrangement, the impression cylinder is arranged to cooperate with a printing cylinder I06..

While there has been disclosed herein two forms in which the invention may be embodied in practice, it will be understood that it may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiments be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and it will be further understood that each and every novel feature and combination present in or possessed by the mechanismherein disclosed formsa part of the invention included in this application.

What I claim is:

,1. In a sheet registering mechanism for a printing. machine, a rotatable cylinder adapted to receive sheets, sheet registering members carried bythe cylinder and by which sheets delivered thereto are registered, means to take sheets from the cylinder, and means to move the sheet registering members out of sheet engaged position previous to movement of the sheet taking means from the cylinder.

2. In a sheet registering mechanism for a printing machine, a rotatable cylinder adapted to receive sheets, sheet registering members carried by the cylinder and by which sheets delivered to the cylinder are registered-means on the cylinder against which the sheet registering members are adapted to rest, the said sheet registering members being movable peripherally in respect to the cylinder, and adiusting devices to adjust said means and thereby move the sheet registering members peripherally with respect to "the cylinder.

3. In a sheet registering mechanism for a printing machine, a cylinder adapted to receive sheets, means associated with the cylinder to grip sheets delivered thereto, a plurality of memberscarried by the cylinder and against which the sheets are pressed when delivered to the mechanism to register them on the cylinder, means to remove sheets from the cylinder, and

' means to move the members out .of sheet engaging position previous to the operation of the sheet removing means.

, able means against which the members normally rest and operable to simultaneously position the members in desired relative positions along the cylinder to compensate for an inaccurate condition of the edges of the sheets, and means to move the members out of sheet engaging posiv tion subsequent to gripping the-sheet and previous to removing it from the cylinder.

5. .In mechanism toregister a sheet upon a.

cylinder adapted to operate upon the sheet, a. plurality of resilientsheet registering fingers carried by the cylinder and adapted to be engaged by the forward edge of a sheet delivered thereto, a bar against which the fingers abut and means to bow the. bar simultaneously adjust the position of some of the sheet registering fingers peripherally in respect to the cylinder.

6. In mechanism to registera sheet upona cylinder adapted to receive the sheet, a plurality of resilient sheet registering fingers carried by the cylinder andadapted to be engaged by the forward edge of a sheet delivered thereto, a bar extending axially along the cylinder and engaging the sheet registering fingers, and means to adjust a portion of the bar peripherally in respect to the cylinder to simultaneously move a number of the sheet registering fingers in the same direction.

7. In mechanism to register a sheet upon a cylinder adapted to operate upon the sheet, a plurality of resilient sheet registering fingers carried by the cylinder and adapted to be engaged by th forward edge of a sheet delivered thereto, means to simultaneously adjust a number of the sheet registering fingers peripherally in respect to the cylinder, and cam operated means to adjust a portion of the bar peripherally I in respect to the cylinder to simultaneously move a'number of the members in the .same direction, and cam operated means to simultaneously move all of the members out of engagement with the bar.

9. In a printing machine, a cylinder adapted to receive sheets, means to register a sheet on the cylinder including a member against which a sheet is pressed when it is delivered .to the cylinder, means to grip a sheet pressed against the member, and means to move the member from engagement with the sheet while the sheet is gripped by the said sheet gripping means.

10. In a printing machine, a cylinder'adapted 11. In a printing machine, a cylinder adapted to receive sheets to be acted upon thereby,means to register a sheet on the cylinder including a member against which a sheet i pressed when it is delivered to the cylinder, means to grip a sheet pressed against the member, a bar supported on and bendable in a direction peripherally of the cylinder and against which the member normally rests, means to bend the bar to move the member, and means to move the member away from the bar after the sheet ha been gripped by the said sheet gripping means.

12. In mechanism to register a sheet upon a cylinder adapted to operate upon the sheet, a plurality of members carried by the cylinder and adapted to be engaged by the forward edge of a sheet delivered thereto, angularly disposed lips extending rearwardly from the members to guide a sheet downwardly against the periphery of the cylinder, and adjustable means to simultaneously adjust a number of the members peripherally in respect to the cylinder.

13. In a printing machine, a cylinder adapted to receive sheets to be acted upon thereby, means to register a sheet on the cylinder including a member against which a sheet is pressed when it is delivered to the cylinder, means to grip a sheet pressed against the member, angularly disposed lips extending rearwardly from the members to guide a sheet downwardly against the periphery of the cylinder, and means to remove the member from sheet engaged position after the sheet has been gripped by the said sheet gripping means.

14. In a rotating'cylinder, a mechanism to register a sheet carried thereon, including a plurality of members adapted to be engaged by the forward edge of a sheet delivered to the cylinder, a swingable finger having an end normally in position to be engaged by the sheet as it is delivered to the cylinder, a spring for urging the finger intosheet engaging position, a bracket upon which the finger is pivoted and by which the spring is carried, and common removable means to secure the finger and the spring to the bracket and the bracket to said cylinder.

detachable from the cylinder, and including a bracket, a sheet engaging member pivotally supported on the'bracket, and a spring adapted to bias the sheet engaging member toward a sheet presented to the cylinder.

16. In a printing'machine, a cylinder adapted to receive sheets, a plurality of separately movable fingers carried by the cylinder to be engaged by and to register a sheet thereon, a bendable bar extending along the cylinder and against which the said fingers rest, and means to bend the bar to move some of the fingers in respect to the other fingers.

17. In mechanism to register a sheet upon a cylinder adapted to receive sheets, a plurality of resilient fingers normally in alignment axially along and carried by the cylinder and arranged to be engaged by the forward edge of a sheet as it is delivered thereto, a bendable barcarried by the cylinder and disposed thereon to be engaged by the said fingers, and means to bend the bar to press certain of the fingers out of alignment with the other fingers. V

18. In'mechanism to register a sheet upon a cylinder adapted to receive sheets, Ia plurality of resilient fingers normally in alignment axially along the cylinder and arranged to be engaged by the forward edge of a sheet as it is delivered to the cylinder, a rockable shaft carried by the cylinder and to which the fingers are secured, a bendable bar carried by the cylinder and disposed thereon to be engaged by the said fingers, means to bend the bar to press some-of the fingers out 0; alignment with the other fingers, and means torock the shaft to simultaneously move all of the fingers away from the bar.

WIILIAM K. ECKHARD. 

